Many criticized prominent evangelicals like James Dobson and Mike Huckabee for claiming last week's Connecticut school massacre was God’s punishment of a morally disobedient nation, but don't expect such views to change. Scholars say the belief in divine retribution for personal and national transgressions not only goes back as far as the Bible's Book of Job, it’s also a concept fused into the American worldview.

“This is a recurring pattern in American history since the Puritans,” said Barry Hankins, professor of history and resident scholar in religion at Baylor University. “They believed God is in covenant with nations and in covenant with America.”